1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pick-up apparatus and an image pick-up method, and particularly to an image pick-up apparatus and an image pick-up method suitable for switching a zoom range.
2. Description of the Related Art
A video camera of which angle of view is switched by turning a turret lens has conventionally been present as a traditional 8-mm video camera. In addition, an angle of view or a zoom range of a digital single-lens camera can be selected by means of a lens system.
Meanwhile, an image pick-up apparatus capable of performing optical zoom processing or electronic zoom processing in response to an operation of a zoom operation button, determining an electronic zoom factor in accordance with an operation of a zoom operation button in the electronic zoom processing, and improving resolution of a video image after electronic zoom by decreasing the number of mixed pixels of charges when the number of mixed pixels of charges is attained in accordance with an electronic zoom factor has been available.
In such an image pick-up apparatus, however, there has been no concept of switching of a zoom range. In addition, since the number of mixed pixels is changed during zooming, a zoomed video image becomes disadvantageously discontinuous at that time point.